Dow jumps 140 points as Syria fears fade

Stocks ended higher Monday as concerns about what might transpire in Syria have ebbed -- for the time being at least.

The market, which had been trading higher all day, rallied further after Secretary of State John Kerry made comments that appeared to open the door to a diplomatic alternative in Syria instead of military strikes.

Hiring continued in August, but at a slower pace, which may signal the Federal Reserve will stand pat on its bond-buying program when it meets next week. The Fed has been consistently saying it will not begin tapering until it sees marked improvement in the labor market.

What's moving: Smithfield Foods(SFD) and China's Shuanghui International announced after the closing bell Friday that U.S. regulators had cleared Shuanghui's proposed acquisition of the American meat processor.